At Least Three Drones Downed and Four Airports Closed During the Event

On September 10, a Russian drone strike on western Ukraine crossed a little too far into Poland’s borders, forcing four of its key airports to halt operations. The nation’s Air Force responded by shooting down at least three aircraft, marking the first time that Russian drones have been downed in NATO territory since the major 2022 invasion.

Acrimony Grows In Gulf States Over Gaza, Qatar Strike

Some Israeli weapons manufacturers have been refused entry to one of the world’s biggest aerospace expos in the United Arab Emirates after receiving letters from the organizers of the Dubai Air Show in November. This comes at a time when the anger of Gulf states grows as Israel continues its offensive action in Gaza, and more pointedly after a strike in Qatar that targeted Hamas political leadership.

Pilot Program Follows Admin EO To Unleash Drone Dominance

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean P. Duffy announced a new pilot program in the FAA that aims to accelerate the deployment of AAM, or advanced air mobility vehicles. The new technologies are full of potential to transform aviation, expand connectivity in rural America, reduce road congestion in urban areas, and enhancing medical and emergency transport services.

Agency Issues Safety Alert for Lithium Battery Devices, Citing Recent Fires

A string of concerning fires has resulted in the FAA advising airlines to be more cautious about allowing their passengers to bring power banks onto planes. The safety alert recommends new rules on where lithium batteries can be stored, hoping to make potential fires easier to access and extinguish.

MOSAIC-Centric Event Set For November 6-8, 2025... DON'T Miss It!

After a master strategy meeting this last week on the grounds of the Sun n Fun Aerospace Expo campus, details have been completed for the first MOSAIC-dedicated, MOSAIC-centric Affordable Flying Expo (AFE25). With the rule officially announced, AFE25 stands to be the best opportunity for MOSAIC-interested folks to get their questions answered and for the industry to show the aviation community that they are ready to serve this expanding niche. 

Also: SUN ‘n FUN’s EarlyBird, Rotax Advanced Start, Girls in Aviation Day, Lockwood RV-916!

The recently concluded Midwest Aviation Expo, hosted by the Mt. Vernon Outland Airport is a modest but overtly positive event in the sport aviation scheme of things. Led by Airport Boss Chris Collins, one of the best in the business, the event has been going on for 17 years and emphasizes a close and personal opportunity for companies to display their wares and for potential customers to spend time looking them over... There are a LOT of SportPlanes out there and while ANN’s Chief Test Pilot, Jim Campbell, has flown well over a 1000 unique types, there are still a lot of birds on his “Must-Fly’ List. One of them was the Flight Design F2. Jim says the F2 IS NOT a modified CT series bird... it is distinctively different and is most definitely not your Father’s CT. The Rotax 912iS powered F2 is a spacious, easily accessible h

First-Ever Air Launch Of Smaller Loitering Munition From Larger Drone

General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and AeroVironment announced their collaboration successfully completed the first-ever air launch of a Switchblade 600 loitering munition system from a Block 5 MQ-9A Reaper UAS and marks the first time a Switchblade has been launched from an unmanned aircraft.

Honeywell’s Surface Alert System Progresses Towards Commercial Rollout

Honeywell has come one step closer to helping prevent runway incursions, with its SURF-A surface alert system now entering its final phase of testing. The tech sounds an audible alarm, bluntly “traffic on runway,” 30 seconds and 15 seconds before a potential collision could occur.

Also: Potential Mars Biosignature, Boeing August Deliveries, JetBlue Retires Final E190, Av Safety Awareness

Czech plane maker Bristell was awarded its first FAA Type Certification for the B23 two-seater, assisting its effort to get on the US flight training map. The bird totals more than 1,100 delivered since 2009. Nearly 100 B23s are already flying in the United States. Personal aviation company Jetson recently completed the first-ever delivery of its ONE electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and to none other than Oculus and Anduril Industries founder Palmer Luckey. This comes as Jetson works to shift its business overseas, establishing new headquarters in California. The recently published Second Quarter 2025 General Aviation Aircraft Shipment and Billing Report, compiled by GAMA, shows a solid uptick in shipments for the first half of this year compared to last. Business jets and piston airplanes both stood out, though

Expandable Facility Will House Up To 8 Full-Flight Sims

WestJet and CAE announced a 15-year training agreement which will have CAE establish the Alberta Training Center of Excellence for Aviation and Aerospace, which will be a cutting-edge aviation training facility housing up to eight full-flight simulators, cabin trainers, and state-of-the-art digital learning tools.